The Religious Affiliation of Comic Book CharacterDinah LanceBlack Canaryof both the Justice League and Justice Society of America

Dinah Lance is better known as the Black Canary. She is a superhero who has been a core member of both the Justice League of Society of America and the Justice League of America. The Black Canary first appeared in Flash Comics #86 (1947), written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by Carmine Infantino.

Various retcons and continuity tweaks have established that the contemporary Black Canary character (Dinah Laurel Lance) is the daughter of the original Black Canary (Dinah Drake Lance).

We do not know the religious affliation of the Black Canary. Unlike a number of her Justice League team-members, she is not an overtly religious character. Nor is Dinah Lance an outspoken proponent of distinct political and philosophical views, in the manner of her long-team partner and lover Oliver Queen (the Green Arrow).

The Black Canary probably has at least a vaguely Protestant Christian background, but as yet we lack sufficient textual support to classify her one way or another.

Discussion

From: "Need Help With A Research Project" forum discussion, started 9 December 2005 on the "Comic Bloc" website (http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-16070.html; viewed 6 August 2007):

Atom-Smasher
December 13th, 2005, 10:57 PM

In relation to question 6: as a Jewish comic book reader, I look around a great deal for any sign of Jewish stuff in comics. It's a habit. Things like the upcoming Sgt. Rock mini about rescuing the rabbi in Eastern Europe are few and far between. Interestingly, the three highest profile Jewish characters at Marvel--Kitty Pryde, the Thing and Moon Knight--have a mini-series, an ongoing and an upcoming ongoing, respectively. On the DC side, Ragman is in the Shadowpact ongoing, but otherwise, Atom Smasher is in jail and... that's it. No one's heard from Seraph and Hayoth for years, and I think I'm the only person that considers Black Canary to actually be Jewish (I have my reasons). Atom Smasher could become a player in OYL considering his current imprisoned status and his apparent recruitment by Amanda Waller.

As for Jewish themes in writing, the legend of the Golem has influenced a number of characters, most notably Marvel's Thing.

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